Reveal Cain Heel
by ahbuggrit
Summary: Sho is attending the much anticipated premiere of 'Tragic Marker', where the acting world is buzzing with excitement and curiosity over the identity of the actor who played BJ. Sho is in for as big a shock as the rest of the showbiz industry when the producer brings two individuals up on stage to make a special announcement. Who are the Heel siblings!
1. Chapter 1

**This fanfic is for my dear friend ****_ChibiGirlXD,_**** who has recently moved. Thanks to my sis, ****_tophwannabe_**** for giving this a read-over for me.**

**.**

"Yes" was the answer Sho gave when he was approached by the producers of 'Tragic Marker', when they enquired if he would write a song for the movie. It was a dark film, they told him. It seemed to fit with his image as well, particularly with the image of the dark brooding B.J. in his black, ragged cloak. His fans would go crazy for it.

He was also only too pleased to get to go to the premiere – making contacts outside of the music industry could benefit him hugely, as his label had advised. If he managed to remain cool and mannerly, he might get a few famous faces to take part in his music videos – all to further his success in the industry. Hell, if he played it right, he could get Ruriko to sing with him – her fanbase was huge and if he could get those young teens to become his fans, his CD sales would sky-rocket. Hell, he might even get a part in a drama or a movie, and introduce his pretty-boy face to a wider audience.

So, to say he was a little peeved by the delay in the premiere was something of an understatement. What was the idea with having the party a week after the film had been released nationally? It went against the title of 'premiere' – French for 'first'. Sure, the nation was now wondering who the hell BJ was, and sales in theatres had been record-breaking. Sho didn't quite understand these attempts to keep the identity of the lead actor a secret. He was probably someone famous, Sho mused. But who? Probably an international star – it would be an explanation why critics in Korea and China were foaming at the mouth with excitement for the films release in their own countries, and why Asian film fans in the West were making guesses as to who could play the role of BJ (all thanks to illegally watching a poor quality version of the film online).

Needless to say, on the day of the party, Sho was dressed to the nines in all his visual kei glory. A long leather coat with dull silver studs adorned his frame. An open, slightly ruffled-collar shirt was only partially buttoned – the sight of his chest would have all the girls swooning, he smirked. As would the tight pair of dark jeans which stood out against the red lining of his leather coat. Stylish clunky boots completed his outfit – he was pleased to say the least. 'Haaah~ I'm so gorgeous right now! (Not that I'm anything else otherwise). Hmm... seducing all those actresses should be fun,' he smirked to himself. A slideshow of beautiful (big-breasted) actresses appeared in his mind. Man, he was pumped for this!

Shoko was dressed rather demurely. Sho was a little disappointed in the lack of cleavage, but conceeded that she was indeed looking well. The chocolate brown dress really was striking on her and created an enticing silhoutte.

Sho half listened to her as she explained the sequence of events, and who his agency hoped he would make acquaintances with. 'It would be nice to just go to a party and enjoy it,' he mused. 'But not in this business, I suppose.'

Shoko quit trying to explain to Sho his business for the evening as their car passed by a crowd of flashing lights and clamouring bodies of reporters and one or two fans (she knew the pretty lights would be too distracting for the limelight addict). 'Looks like this thing is huge,' Sho smirked. His ego doubled. 'And I'm a part of it.'

He produced his sexiest smile and sauntered down the walkway to the venue. Just before entering the doorway, he gave a wink to those behind him, leaving screaming women in his wake. A few seemed to be crying with joy at the sight of their idol, and waved their colourful pieces of cardboard declaring love for Sho all the more enthusiastically. It would be fair to say he felt like a god at that moment.

Just inside the entrance of the lavish and highly ornamented building, there was a flash of pink and artificially bright brown hair that caught Sho's attention. "No way-"

Turning a corner, Sho could plainly see the back of Kyoko. She hadn't spotted him yet. An evil smirk stretched across his face. 'A perfect opportunity...'

"Heeeh~ What's a boring girl like you doing in such a grand place?" He loved how her shoulders tensed at his voice. 'Heh, I am still important to her. Take that Tsuruga!'

She turned around with a thin mask of indifference, though the animosity beneath was palpable. "ShoTARO," she emphasised in her greeting. That pissed him off a little.

"What, are you part of the waiting staff here?" He sneered. "Perfect job for a plain person like you."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, as did those of the waitress standing behind him – she looked very much affronted. But Kyoko didn't have much attention to spare for the angry waitress when the bane of her existence was standing before her, mocking her and she had let three grudge demons escape – trying to calm the little spirits was tough enough without his presence.

"Excuse me," she said primly, with resentment seething in her tone. "I've to be going."

"Yeah, you might get docked pay if you don't show up on time for your job. Better be nice to me," he taunted.

Though invisible to Sho's eyes, he could feel the dark demons swirling about Kyoko. She started to say something, but ended up growling, her fingers holding her tongue. She turned on heel and marched off. He could just about make out the stifled mutterings of 'jerk-face' and 'scumbag'.

'Awww... And I thought I was going to get more fun out of her. Pfft! How disappointing. Still, there is the movie and party. And the actresses - plenty of entertainment for tonight.'

He sauntered off to find Shoko and their seats for the 7pm viewing of the wildly anticipated film.

**(88888888)**

Sho could only curse Japan's high legal age to consume alcohol as he stuck to iced spring water and lemon. Around him, all the over-20s of the showbiz industry sipped on a variety of wines, whiskeys, brandies and cocktails, as he allowed his manager to cart him around the room to meet, greet and mingle with the other attendees.

Sho had to admit that he was impressed with the film – it truly was a hair-raising martial arts spectacle. Everyone was talking about it. Moreover, everyone was talking about the mysterious lead, Cain Heel. Everyone had left the viewing room with hair raised, adrenaline pumping in their systems and were praising the film. Such an evil aura! The blood drenched scenes were made all the more chilling with the superb lighting and camera work. The looks of terror on the faces of the victims had one on the edge of their seat, legs crossed lest one urinate in fear. On everyones' tongues was the question: who was the actor that played BJ? None could come up with any actor who had the looks and acting ability of the character. Kuon Hizuri, perhaps, when he was younger, but even then, he would have struggled with such a dark, sadistic role. A taller Jack Nicholson, maybe? Someone with a natural crazy look in their eyes... Simply put, everyone was puzzled and astounded.

Sho mentally scoffed as the women around him told ridiculous rumors of abuse on set by the actor and rumors of attempted and successful murders that surrounded the production of the film. But to save face and to garner interest from a petite yet busty Hana Kawaii, he pretended to act interested and shocked as he leaned in for more. The young woman blushed and averted her eyes momentarily before looking right at Sho.

'Got her,' he mentally congratulated himself.

But his bladder sent messages of discomfort to him. 'Hmm.. Well, they do say that absense makes the heart grow fonder.'

"Excuse me, ladies." Sho murmured as he backed out from the group and left his glass on the table. Even as he turned, he could hear the whispers and suppressed squeals surrounding his target. Sure, his departing sentence hadn't been all that original, but it seemed to have impressed the gaggle he left behind him.

It was actually a relief to get out of the noisy, crowded room for a moment to take a breather.

Sho headed to the quieter corridor where the toilets were located. He had just turned the corner when a sort of punky visual kei goddess came into sight. Sho was momentarily stunned. The outline of the black top gave more rounded emphasis to the petite chest, and the end of it hovered over the girl's belly button, where her hips began to circle out. Her equally short leather jacket did nothing to hide the tight grip of her leather pants around her slender hips. Sho could only swallow at the sight of her legs encased in the black leather and highheeled boots. The chains hanging around her hips made her look dangerous... despite them having only a decorative function.

'I think I have a new appreciation for legs...'

Her hair was a pale blonde with pink tips. Her lip-to-ear chain really surprised him. It really looked like a part of her – as if it was natural. But he wasn't just impressed by her attire – it was her attitude and confidence that oozed a cool and sexy appeal. Sho was enjoying it very much. No harm in chasing another girl – after all, it was never wise to put all the eggs in one basket (despite the fact he had done this with his career after leaving junior high solely to enter the music industry).

'Hmm, judging by style alone, she might be into rock and visual kei... Heh, she'll be easily impressed by me and my gorgeous visage.' Sho ran a hand through his hair as if to add more of a cool aura, and sauntered down the corridor. 'No harm in trying something new, different... and exciting.'

Approximately ten seconds after entering Sho's vision, the girl had turned to fully face Sho, heading the the opposite direction. Sho kept his eyes on her, waiting for her attention.

Her eyes met his and they noticably widened and she let her mouth open slightly, though no gasp escaped. 'Of course she recognised me,' he smirked. All girls reacted like that to him nowadays – with shock and awe, usually with a healthy helping of adoration and admiration.

Both had stopped walking now. Sho allowed his mouth to form a sexy smile as he graced the girl before him with his smouldering gaze.

"Hey. My name's Fuwa Sho. And you?" he asked. When it came to fans, Sho never really bothered with convoluted interaction – he only ever had to directly ask - one of the perks of being a popular and cool musician.

The girl's face had smoothed over once more and Sho was unable to detect any emotion, but for a strange look in her eyes. "Setsuka."

She made a move to keep walking, which slightly surprised Sho, but didn't dissuade his pursuit. "Set-su-ka," he sounded out, grabbing her attention. "Cute name. Makes me feel good."

Her eyes flinched up at his, coldly.

"Good to know we're already on a first name basis," he clarified his earlier statement and smirked as he stepped closer to her.

Normally, a girl would blush at her actions and his response in such a situation, but this girl was really apathetic. Sho was almost certain that he had detected a note of disgust in her eyes. But that was hardly likely... right?

"Hn. Well, I'm on a first name basis with everyone. It's how it is in England." She stated simply, with little emotion in her voice. It sounded like she didn't care.

'Wha-?! Is she a halfer?' Sho thought. 'At least a little travelled. Mmm... Sorta hot.'

"How about you and I hang out tonight?" He smirked in a manner he thought was charismatic. He openly let his eyes travel the woman's figure before fixing her face with a steamy and suggestive gaze.

Now it was Setsuka's turn to size him up. As she surveyed the visual kei star in front of her, there was little expression in her face... but for the taunt lines around her eyes that Sho managed to miss. She stared straight into Sho's face. 'Here it comes – she's gonna melt at my feet.'

"Pretentious. Not cool."

What?!

Setsuka wore a subtle sneer as she looked at his arms and legs. Her eyes rolled upwards. "Not strong."

Did she just criticise his perfect physique?!

She hit him with a bored stare. "Not interested."

What the hell?!

She stalked past the stunned musician. Sho watched Setsuka saunter down the corridor with growing appreciation for her figure – despite the fact her legs were covered it did little to conceal what lay beneath. 'She recognised me... but turned me down. And was so cold...' This fact didn't quite compute with Sho – usually girls were all over him, and if they weren't, they were at least enthusiastic, if not anxious, in their responses to him. 'And it's not like my charm was off tonight.'

He balled his fist. He released it. His bladder jabbed him for attention. He banged open the swing door of the mens' toilet and stood at the gleaming white urinal. It took a minute to undo his two belts, remove a chain snagged on his zip, and then to lower his silk boxers. He urinated to shut his bladder up before locking himself in a bathroom stall and checking his make up with a tiny pocket-mirror. He decided that with a new coat of make up he would apply a new coat of confidence and help him to forget no-tits Setsuka.

He had calmed down and his confidence was once more stable. He headed back to the dining hall for the producer's special announcement and dinner.

**(88888888)**

Shoko had extracted Sho from a gaggle of actresses and models (his confidence, at full force, had been very seductive), and began dragging him towards their assigned seats. Everyone in the dining room began to settle into their own, awaiting speeches from the director, the producers and hopefully, the lead actor. A light excitement was pulsing through the room. There was a feeling in the air that something big was going to happen – the signs were evident. Many people were looking around them, whilst in conversation, and rather than sticking around for long conversations, everyone was flitting from group to group. Any unknown men were surrounded by the celebrities of the film industry as an interrogation was carried out to see if _this_ person was the actor to play BJ.

Sho flopped down onto his seat. Some of his targets hadn't been as receptive to his flattery and charm as he had hoped (i.e. They had not fawned over him like they did for the Ren Tsuruga).

'Tsuruga...!' Sho snapped his head around to look at the room. Wasn't that LME president Lory Takarada over there? Surely someone as high ranking as Ren Tsuruga would be here as well. Try as he might, Sho couldn't see hide nor hair of the tall celebrity. 'Hn, he probably wasn't invited... heh, not like me,' Sho mentally congratulated himself in elevating further up in the world of show business.

He settle down into his chair once more. Undistracted and relaxed, his mind went from Tsuruga to Kyoko and her presence at the party. He honestly didn't expect to see her there. 'I haven't really thought about her much in the last couple of weeks... then again, I've been pretty busy,' he thought. 'Her hair has gotten a bit longer. I thought I saw a hint of her dark roots,' he half-snickered to herself. 'She's so unkempt...' He gave the room a lazy scan, looking for her in a waiting uniform. However, none of the staff had 'tea' hair – all of them had their natural hair colours from what Sho could see. 'Probably helping in the kitchen... doing the wash-up. Hah! Couldn't let a plain-Jane like her out to serve stars like me.'

His mind drifted for a while, until his eye caught Shoko waving at him. 'Time to get to work.' He gracefully rose out of his seat, as he walked over in a very relaxed manner to his manager. He and Shoko stood to the side of the stage as Producer Maegawa introduced him, and his music video. As claps greeted his words, Shoko pushed Sho towards the podium with the microphones.

"Good evening, everyone." Sho's radiant smile shone on all corners of the room. "I hope you all are enjoying this night as much as I am. I'd like to keep things short, but I have to say it was such an honour to be approached to create music for this thrilling film. I hope you enjoy the music video, and please take care of me. Thank you very much." Applause followed his words. He hopped off the stage with Shoko to their seats.

A few murmurs spread before a hush fell with the dimming light. On screen, a blaring light lit up the room before the heavy strums of a base guitar filled the room. Images alternated between Sho and his band singing, and clips from the movie. Sho was experiencing minor thrills (and anxieties) as the video progressed. As the pace of the song picked up, so too did the alternating of the images. Whispers arose as the guitar solo started and images of BJ with a woman in leather flashed between close ups of the BC Rich Warlock guitar that the guitarist was shredding.

'Hmm? Who is that girl?' Sho wondered. 'She wasn't in the movie...' Yet, with no image of her face, there was no real way to identify her.

The final parts of the video ended with Sho's fading voice. The lights reappeared, and hands smacked together in appreciation - a sound that Sho loved. He struggled to keep his smirk from growing too arrogant. He had a cool and indifferent image to uphold. 'Maybe now those women will pay more attention to me... my gift is irresistible, after all.'

"Thank you, everyone! I am glad you enjoyed this excellent song by Sho Fuwa!" The producer exclaimed. "Isn't he wonderful?" This was greeted by more applause. Sho felt great.

Sho struggled to keep boredom off his face as the director and producers began their speeches of gratitude and thanking the workers and supporters. It was time for Sho to be admired by all those actors and actresses! They should just hurry up-

"And now!" Producer Maegawa exclaimed excitedly. "To reveal to you, the secret identity of BJ!"

That statement had Sho and everyone else in the room sitting up wide awake. The identity of BJ...?! Murmurs spread quickly and rose in volume before the bespecaled producer put up his hand for silence.

"I really do believe many of you will be surprised. Even I was surprised by the level of acting of this actor – and the terror it evoked in me. He is truly one of the finest actors of this day and age. I believe it will not be long until his name is known worldwide!" The door of the dining room clunked open in the silent room. Heads turned to greet a figure in a trailing coat. "Everybody, please welcome Cain Heel!"

As Cain Heel and the woman beside him walked leisurely towards the stage, gasps and whispers erupted.

"Cain... Heel?"

"A foreigner? The name's not familiar..."

"So, he's not internationally known?"

"He dresses like that off screen?"

"Who's the woman with him?"

The last question was from Sho. Shoko shrugged. All eyes followed the pair. There seemed to be an aura of some sort surrounding the two. It was subtly threatening, yet there was no animosity hovering between the duo. Still... Sho suppressed a minor shiver as the pair passed right by his table. For a moment, he thought he felt the man flick a glance at him... His eyes then widened when he recognised that it was Setsuka walking alongside Cain Heel.

On stage, the man and the woman were standing in a very relaxed, almost offensive manner as they were greeted by the producer. Setsuka merely flashed the man a lazy peace sign. Sho watched Setsuka, enjoying the display of skin, trying to ignore the subtle sting of rejection he still felt after his encounter with her earlier. He turned his attention to her terrifying companion, Cain Heel. Even now, he wore a long jacket with ragged ends, and his hood was pulled up indoors, casting a shadow over the upper half of his face. He gave off a very threatening vibe in comparison to the woman who gave off a bored, indifferent one. It was an unsettling mix.

"Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for Cain Heel and his sister, Setsu Heel!" Though hesitant at first, the clapping became thunderous.

'No way... she's his sister?!' Sho was dumbfounded. Shoko had to push his jaw up to stop the flies from getting in, and to maintain his cool image. Image was everything in this industry. He also tried not to compare himself to the brother – who was cool (more like terrifyingly cold), physically strong (the muscles were obvious even beneath the leather) and it was a bit of an understatement to say that he was interesting (all of Japan was abuzz about his identity).

Setsu Heel stepped up to the mike, with her brother standing on her left. "Brother would like to say thanks. He hopes you enjoyed the film... Yeah, he did do a good job, huh?"

The audience were a little taken aback. She spoke so informally and was really lacking in gratitude. Why was she smirking in such a derisive manner? Though Sho thought her actions were kind of hot...

Grinning (which only confused the attendees all the more), the producer stepped up once more to the microphone as Setsu and Cain stepped to the left. "Well, everyone, there you have it – BJ's identity! And if any of you were wondering who the girl in Sho Fuwa's music video was, it was Setsu Heel." Hesitant, polite applause followed.

Well, that was one mystery solved. 'So, she was the chick in it... How did she suddenly get a role in it? I didn't hear about this.' He now had another excuse to approach the petite blonde – Hana Kawaii could wait until he had conquered this challenge.

"I have another announcement - I haven't been entirely honest with you," Producer Maegawa started out. "Cain and Setsu Heel are aliases." Murmurs broke out once more. "We approached a very well known actor about this film. He was interested. But because of the volatile nature of the role, and quite frankly, to raise hype, it was decided that he should have another identity – a role within a role, if you will." Intrigue was building in the room. "To distance himself from his co-actors and create more credibility, the conception of his sister Setsu came about. She acted as interpreter for her brother, although he actually speaks perfect Japanese."

The mentality of the room said "what?" Even Sho was thinking it was an odd situation... 'Yeesh, who are these actors anyway? This situation is ridiculous!' Though he couldn't deny that they had achieved what they had set out to do.

"Are you guys ready?" The producer asked, looking back at the Heel siblings. Receiving nods, he continued. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I'd like to introduce the actor of Cain Heel – REN TSURUGA!"

"Bravo!" came from Lory Takarada as the rest of the room stared on in disbelief.

**.**

**Well, what did you think? Any suggestions, comments, critiques and reviews are welcome.**

**I should have the next chapter up fairly soon.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Many thanks to tophwannabe for once again giving this a read over, and adding some ideas and sarky comments. **

**To those who favourited/followed, thanks, and to those who reviewed, I have much love for you - feedback is the best!  
+**

"Are you guys ready?" The producer asked, looking back at the Heel siblings. Receiving nods, he continued. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I'd like to introduce the actor of Cain Heel – REN TSURUGA!"

"Bravo!" came from Lory Takarada as the rest of the room stared on in disbelief.

There was no applause, no whistles nor any hollers of support. The room was quiet for a moment, before murmurs suddenly rose up among the crowd.

Sho was stunned to say the least. He looked it too; his jaw had dropped to the table, his eyes were bugging out and his skin had blanched horribly, contrasting poorly with his supposed-to-be subtle eyeliner. If the sweat on his brow kept forming as quickly as it was doing now, it wouldn't be long before his fresh coat of foundation melted down his face.

Luckily, it was Shoko to the rescue. Seeing as trying to shove his open mouth closed had failed her, she snuck a hand beneath the table. No one noticed her, so intently they were staring at Cain Heel in silence. Which was a good thing, as the action could have been misinterpreted. She slipped her hand behind Sho's knee and pinched him firmly.

Sho jumped in his seat, and would have left out a high-pitch yelp but for Shoko's hand clamping itself on his mouth. She winced as he bit down on her hand, but let out no sound.

Now that he had recovered, their attention was once again draw to the stage. "Oh dear. It looks as though they don't believe me. Would you...?"

Cain Heel shoved back his hood, stuffed his leather gloves in his pocket and proceeded to take his thick messy wig off his head. The young woman handed him a wet wipe, which he swept across his face and all of a sudden, there stood one of the most iconic actors of Japan. He looked severely out of place in this thick, ragged cloak as he smiled politely. It was as though someone had photo-shopped his kind, gentlemanly face onto the body of a secretive thug.

'Goddamn poser,' Sho thought begrudgingly to himself.

Gasps and exclamations erupted. "Oh my gosh!"s and "I can't believe-!"s were repeated and shared with neighbours as the audience looked on in wonder. The cast and crew behind Ren looked shocked as well, but there was a more amazed sickness in their eyes. Sho was disgusted. He had done a song for his competitor's movie, but Ren's role in this now downsized Sho's involvement. This was supposed to be the movie HE made famous. The cast were supposed to be a group of no-name or small-time actors, like the one guy who kept boasting about his gangster past. It wasn't some no-name actor in this movie, but THE Ren Tsuruga; a man whose name was easily outshone Sho's own in this glitz and glam industry. He felt the green, cloying hands of envy at his soul as he listened to all the praise that was being spouted all around him by the excited audience. He was beginning to regret contributing a song to Ren's film.

"Hello everyone," Ren greeted. He turned to the cast and staff of 'Tragic Marker' that were standing onstage. He bowed. "I'm very sorry for having to deceive you and for my terrible attitude."

The press that was present for this odd premiere had stampeded up to the edge of the stage, taking photos and screaming questions as they ran. Sho was rather put out that one had jumped up on his table to get a better vantage point (no one had ever made such an effort to get a better look at him – not even his fangirls had made the effort to get past security at any of his public appearances. Kyoko had been the only one to). Sho was fuming and Shoko had to grip his knee to keep him down – it was difficult to move when her nails were close to impaling his flesh.

"WHY THE SECRECY?"

"WHO'S IDEA WAS THIS?"

"WAS IT DIFFICULT LIVING A LIE FOR SO LONG?"

"DID YOU JUST SEE THIS AS ANOTHER ROLE?"

"ARE THE RUMORS OF VIOLENCE TRUE?"

"WHO IS SETSUKA?" A deep voice boomed. Though Sho didn't recognise the man on his table, Ren and the girl beside him stared at the reporter with a shocked expression – the president was cosplaying again. Ren had to resist the urge to facepalm.

However, the question had set the press off again, and they were blinding Setsuka with the flashes from their cameras as they screamed unintelligible questions at her.

Sho didn't know why, but with all of the focus now on Setsuka, an uncomfortable feeling settled in his gut as he watched the blonde. One LME actor was involved in this lie and that was Ren Tsuruga... Sempai to Kyoko... who he had seen earlier, but not since... and Setsu had _rejected_ him... HIM, the god of virile sexiness. It made no sense.

Ren's hand went to Setsuka's shoulder to guide her forward to the podium. He had to bend down to speak properly into the mike. He cleared his throat to shut up the shouts of the media men and women beneath him. "This young woman is a very talented young actress who has shaken up the world of Japanese acting lately-"

Sho's stomach suddenly clenched. As if he was going to vomit.

"-and I've had the pleasure to work with her before-"

His stomach rolled again. Oh, god, no... He prayed that it was some unknown actress – unknown to him that is.

"Please put your hands together for Kyoko!"

Sho stiffened. Shoko saw his reaction, and then she too stiffened. The reporter (Lory) on their table did a little jig while the other reporters were photographing Setsuka's transformation into Kyoko.

Sho watched as his childhood friend pulled off her disguise, and revealed her true identity to the world. Off came her ear-to-lip earring, and off came the blonde wig. Even despite the harsh make-up on her face, Sho could easily tell it was his childhood friend. 'Another amazing transformation...' His stomach sloshed and churned at the fact that she would be the most talked about actress for the next week, despite not actually playing a movie role. Publicly, she would be forever connected to Ren Tsuruga. She had played the role as his sister... she would always be intimately connected to HIM, and not to Sho, who had known her since they were children, who knew all her unfortunate circumstances. HE should have been intimately connected with her, NOT Ren Tsuruga. And just like that his jealously multiplied tenfold.

'NO.' he mentally affirmed. He shook his head to clear the nasty thoughts and turned his attention back to the interview session going on in front of him. He was just in time for the section that would slug him in the gut – metaphorically speaking.

"You two had to live as brother and sister?"

'What?' Sho mentally lurched. 'She had to live with him? NO!'

Ren smiled charismatically. The female population of the room (minus Shoko and Kyoko) sighed dreamily. "Yes. Even off set, we both continued our roles as Cain and Setsu – siblings that were close and excluding. It was easier to stay in role around Kyoko all the time than playing the role partially – I was less likely to slip up."

"You said 'siblings that were close and excluding' – could you please expand on that statement?"

'Please, don't,' Sho fervently wished.

Of course." Another beautiful smile and more sighs. "Setsu and Cain were almost inappropriately close to one another – it was all to create a barrier between Cain and his co-workers. Cain is a doting, over-protective brother who spoils his sister rotten. He focused his attention on her and this made in unapproachable to the other staff on this film. He was further isolated as Setsu acted a translator for him."

"Set- Kyoko! Over here! How did you resist a man like Ren Tsuruga while living in such close quarters?" A female reporter with a stylish bob haircut asked excitedly. She was foaming at the mouth at the thought of the possible sexy scandal that could have happened. It was a question bound to pop up, given the living arrangements, strange set up of the film, and the beauty of both professionals.

Sho nearly stopped breathing. 'Could they have... grown closer? What if they were in a relationship?! No. She is mine. She always will be – she joined this industry because of me,' he tried to reassure himself.

"Ah! I-I! I couldn't think like that! H-he's my sempai!" Kyoko denied waving her hands in front her as she slowly reddened.

"Oh, Ms. Mogami, you don't see me as a man?" Ren teased, and elicted responses of laughter from the room. "Ms. Mogami was professional throughout the task. There were times it seemed as though she were my caretaker and I, a baby."

More laughter. Sho conceded that Ren Tsuruga did know how to work the press. He was feeding them enough information to keep them happy, and to prevent false speculations from filling the tabloids.

Kyoko pouted. "Well, I had to. You need to eat more!"

"And you had to protect me from drowning!"

'What?'

"You were in the bath for forty-five minutes!"

"Wait. What happened?" Another reporter asked. The room was very quiet now. Kyoko turned cherry red with mortification once she realised the entire room was listening – and she had been bantering with Ren Tsuruga! What if they had gotten the wrong idea?

That's certainly what happened to Sho. In his head, visions of Kyoko giving Ren mouth-to-mouth flooded his brain or of her wet body pressed up against Ren's broad one. He groaned, leant forward and clasped his head in his hands. It was something far too painful for him to take – though he refused to admit to himself why.

"It was just after a difficult day of filming. While I was showering, Ms. Mogami was preparing our meal. I must have taken longer than usual, because she, she burst in on me."

Gasps erupted around the room, and Sho was gasping for air, cursing his intuition. He dared not look up at the stage, lest he see Kyoko's reaction and in it, the confirmation to Ren's words.

But Ren laughed good-naturedly. "Ms. Mogami is such an innocent though. She refused to look anywhere but at my face. She then yanked the shower curtain closed. A bit of a blow to the male pride."

Sho looked up slowly. A small demon of happiness delighted in the blow to Ren's ego. 'She wouldn't look at him,' he couldn't help the smirk that spread on his face.

The press were laughing at the little anecdote and the crowd were murmuring and giggling.

Sho's eyes found Kyoko.

Kyoko was kneeling down and banging her head against the podium. No questions were answered even though more bombarded the couple onstage. After her little head banging session (which had weirded out a lot of people), she stood up. "Sempai," she wailed, "you'd been in there for _forty-five minutes_ and I thought you were drowning!"

The crowd chuckled at the distressed young woman, all believing her words. Kyoko was perceived as being too innocent and proper, something of a _Nadeshiko –_ she was easy to believe, with her wide eyes, earnest expression and pleading.

Sho wasn't sure what to make of it. Kyoko was a good actress – he would admit that, though only to himself. 'This could all be planned,' his treacherous mind threw up at him, and he felt all the worse. 'It could be part of raising her profile and publicity for the film. What woman in her right mind would not ogle a _naked_ Ren Tsuruga?' Even as a man, Sho would stare at a naked Ren – if only to check out the competition and thus plan how to take him down. 'I must talk to her... to find out the truth.'

Sho could take no more. He stood up and exited the room. With no one around, he ran to the men's bathroom, where he did his best to calm down and not vomit. Once his stomach had settled, he couldn't help but sit on the toilet seat, sulking that his exit hadn't been noticed – and he being one of the greatest singer-songwriter visual kei stars of Japan! It simply defied logic.  
+

**So, what did you think? Did I portray Sho's vanity well? :P**

**Next chapter... words will be exchanged.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to those who reviewed, favorited and followed! Thanks to my beta-reader, tophwannabe. WARNING: This chapter is kind of filler-ish. **

**(88)**

RECAP: The identities of Cain and Setsuka were revealed, as was the story of Kyoko walking in on Ren in the bath.

Sho could take no more. He stood up and exited the room. With no one around, he ran to the mens bathroom, where he did his best to calm down and not vomit.

**(88)**

"Please! Please – if you could – Could the members of the press please be seated once more?" the producer struggled to be heard over the torrent of the questions being screamed at the Heel duo. He motioned for Ren and Kyoko to step away from the podium, to take a place at the rear of the stage with the rest of the cast of 'Tragic Marker'. "You will have an opportunity LATER to interview the cast. After the dinner. Please – ah, thank you, yes, you will have a better opportunity to interview them later, at the interview hour. Thank you."

The tide of reporters shuffled back to their seats reluctantly, with a few of them grumbling.

Shoko rose from her seat, and joined the stream of reporters to the back of the room, and exited unnoticed via the smaller door.. She had to find Sho – she dreaded having to deal with a shocked whiny rock star. She couldn't imagine how much this revelation must be affecting Sho, but she knew it wasn't a positive one. She had to gauge his reaction and from there, how to calm him down enough to continue mingling.

She didn't have to go far to find him – he was at the end of the hall, down near the turn to the bathroom. He was violently kicking the walls and the floor in between slow, deep breaths. She could hear a few muttered words float down to her. She couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Sho. Of course, she didn't agree with his treatment of Kyoko, but she could understand the shock and pain he might be experiencing now.

'Best let him cool down – he doesn't like to be caught having one of his fits. I'll just make sure no one heads down this way...' Shoko quietly took up a guard position, five metres opposite the door, with her mobile pressed to her ear – it was best to seem as though she was out there for a phone call as opposed to watching over her tantruming star.

Sho kept trying to calm himself down with deep, meditative breaths. It didn't work, though. Just as he thought his pulse rate was about to settle, an image of Kyoko would flash in his mind – Setsu's sexy saunter after she rejected him, her waltzing onto the stage, standing beside the damn Ren Tsuruga. It was enough to make his blood boil once more. The frustration he felt was so great, he kicked the walls, stomped the floor, and growled curses between his clenched teeth.

'It's Tsuruga's damn movie – his movie that _I'm_ making famous with _my_ fantastic song! His movie that _my fans_ are watching because of me. It's _my _fantastic talent that is bringing attention to this film!' The wall was kicked viciously with the side of his foot.

'And Kyoko... Kyoko was Setsuka! – well, that explains quite a lot... her showing up here, but not being seen. But, why her?! And, and, she _dare _reject _me_? After all the years she has worshipped me? Pfft! But...' and there was a flash of those sexy legs again in his mind. His damned imagination decided that now was a good time to envision the leather being slowly pulled off those enticing legs. 'It's hard to believe she could look so... good. Womanly.'

Sho was stunned by that realization. While he would acknowledge to himself that he had exaggerated to Shoko about how ugly he found Kyoko to be, he had never classed her as a pretty, cute or attractive. She was just an ordinary, plain girl to him.

But now... his mind was trying to reassign her into a different class – the alluring, sexy one...

No. Not now. He could not focus on this now. He had to push all this emotional crap to the back of his mind for now – he could come up with an explanation for his temporary insanity later. For he had a job to do, and he wasn't just going to allow Kyoko to affect him, and his position in this cut-throat industry.

He crouched down on his haunches, with his head lowered between his knees. He took a long deep breath once more, and held it in. He only released it when the blood started to pulse and tingle at his temples and the base of his neck. He felt a little dizzy and was very much aware of the thumping of his pulse, but he felt a little calmer. He massaged his temples, quickly applied some more eyeliner, and stood up.

He saw Shoko standing further up in the hallway, her phone pressed to her ear, but her mouth wasn't moving, and her gaze was concentrated on the nearest door of the dining room. He felt a rush of gratitude towards her. Despite all the crap he had pulled of late (especially regarding Kyoko), his manager was always there to clean up afterwards – and she did it all without screaming at him or asking her superiors to curb his privileges. He acknowledged for a brief second, that in this aspect of his life he was pretty blessed.

Shoko turned her head and met Sho's gaze, which was now hardened with resolve.

"Have you calmed down now?" Shoko asked quietly.

Sho didn't really answer, but grunted. He didn't like to admit that he was ever less than cool and in control. "Time to focus the spotlight back onto **me**."

**(88)**

There was an awkward, tense atmosphere among the cast and crew of 'Tragic Marker' as they shuffled into the backstage area, with Kyoko and Ren walking behind everyone else.

Kyoko felt the tension weighing down on her, and she kept looking up out of the corner of her eye to try and guess Tsuruga's mood. She could only wonder at what he was going to say... and what was his reason for telling everyone about the bath incident?

An awkward silence never got to develop thanks to the director who spun around, greeting Ren with a smile. "Ah!~ Mr. Tsuruga! To think that I was working with one of Japan's top actors, and I didn't even realize it! You were truly convincing – a top actor indeed."

A nervous chuckle rippled among the cast, except for Murasame, who let out a small snort which went unnoticed. A stream of nervous compliments rose up, each person gaining confidence from the previous one, and the smiles grew brighter and more genuine.

Ren smiled politely throughout this. He put his palms up in front of him to silence the crew, and when they quietened down, he bowed slightly. "I'm afraid I must apologize to you all. While trying to distance myself and create a more convincing character, I took things too far, and I am truly sorry for all the fear and pain I put you all through. I got too worked up. I hope you all will forgive me, please."

Whatever it was in his smile, the tension evaporated from the group and people visibly relaxed. A cacophony of 'don't worry', 'no one was hurt', and 'you were only fulfilling your job!' rose up and surrounded Ren. He smiled politely and bowed a few more times in acknowledgement and appreciation to theh kind words of the crew.

Kyoko relaxed somewhat, glad that there was no angry commotion over the whole Heel sibling situation. She worried momentarily upon seeing Murasame hanging back, glaring angrily out of the corner of his eye, but she relaxed realizing that neither of the two were likely to get into a fight here and that Tsuruga could easily take Murasame.

Murasame's gaze shifted and met with Kyoko's. She was startled for a moment, but gave a small, shy smile, and bowed. When she met his gaze again, he gave a short nod along with a determined look before he turned to head out into the service corridor.

She gave a soft sigh, and then noticed a conspicuous figure hiding behind a stack of seat benches, which another individual dressed in an Arabian garb standing in plain sight next to him. She bowed in President Lory's direction and bowed.

"Alright! Everybody!" the director addressed the occupants of the backstage area. "Dinner is about to be served – a delicious banquet of mixed modern Asian cuisine. Please, enjoy your meals, and have a little fun! But to those of you who will be interviewed later, don't go overboard! Now, if you would follow me, please."

The cast and crew filed out, following the director to the dining hall. As he left, Murasame threw a glance back towards Kyoko, who remained behind with Ren, Lory and his attendant, Sebastian.

Once the door had closed after Murasame, Lory popped out from behind that stacked seat benches with a literal pop, and streamers and glitter floating about him.

"Ren! Kyoko! Fantastic job, you two. You completed your mission very well! Although, I do have a few questions..." He raised his brow at the two, giving them a questioning look.

While Kyoko gazed back with a innocent, slightly confused but Lory noted the stiff look about Ren's face.

"While I didn't quite know about the details of everything that happened during your mission, I wasn't expecting you to be so open about potentially damning stories. First of all, Kyoko," Lory turned to address the younger actor, "was what Tsuruga told true, and did you know he was going to reveal the tale here today?"

"A-ah. W-well, it did happen, but honestly, I didn't see anything! And I did think he might be drowning..." The president did his best not to chuckle at the flustered young woman. "But I didn't know that Tsuruga would talk of it here..."

"Hmmm. Well then, Ren, did you plan to tell?" Lory's inquisitive gaze switched towards Ren. "And if so, for what reason?"

Both Lory and Kyoko saw the mask settle over Ren's face, and began to wonder how much of what he would say would be the truth.

"President, I didn't quite plan it... However, it did occur to me that it would be easy for the press to learn of the living situation of the Heel siblings - It would be a prime piece of gossip for them and they would twist it into a sordid tale. Particularly as Kyoko is a young, up-and-coming actress. It will be easier to control if we put our spin on the situation from the beginning." Ren explained. So far, it sounded somewhat reasonable. "We'll create a level of transparency that will make it difficult for any tabloid to write anything slanderous. It will be a funny, innocent little mishap – I want to make light of it so that their is nothing for the press to use against us."

"Okay. I understand your motives so far, though I wish you would have informed me of your idea earlier... I'll have Sebastian put a story out before the press, with some extra bits, such as Sebastian or Yashiro staying with you two at night... But was there another reason?"

Kyoko had been ready to swallow Ren's story with ease – it had sounded so reasonable and clever. With Lory's last question, she found herself questioning Ren...

Ren seemed to hesitate for a moment as his eyes shifted downwards for a moment. "Well... yes." He turned to Kyoko and bowed. "I'm sorry, Mogami. I wished to show the industry your true side – that you are the complete opposite to the roles you have played thus far. I did not want the world interpreting Mio, Natsu nor Setsu as an exaggeration of your true person. The media can be quite cruel, and with the odd set of circumstances set up for the Heel siblings, I worried that the media would use it to slander you."

Kyoko felt herself get a little teary-eyed at her sempai's compassion and worry for her well-being and reputation. "Tsuruga-sempai... Thank you so much! But you shouldn't worry about me, but about how this situation could affect your position."

As she was looking up at her sempai, Kyoko missed teh cutting look Lory gave to Ren, followed by a quick little hand motion to Sebastian.

"Well, now that we have that sorted, we can join everyone else for dinner. I just have another matter to discuss with Ren before we join everyone else for dinner. Sebastian, would you please accompany Kyoko to the dining hall. Afterwards, put out a few press releases about the revelation of Ren as Cain Heel and summarize the response of the crowd, the comments by the two – put an innocent spin on it, add in that they had managers with them off set, etc. You'll find the documents already prepared on my laptop in the car. Ah, but I suppose you should change first, Kyoko – there's a changing room around the corner with an outfit and make-up artist waiting for you." Lory waved goodbye to Sebastian and Kyoko as they left, not saying a word to Ren until the two were gone.

Lory then motioned for Ren to follow him to a quieter room for the next discussion. "No point in giving opportunity for others to overhear."

After lighting the room and closing the door behind him, Lory fixed Ren with a serious look. "It's understandable for you to look out for Kyoko, particularly seeing as she is your lucky charm," Ren seemed to begin to protest this, but a raised hand from Lory stopped him, "however, you should have consulted with me first. We had a pre-damage control procedure ready to spring into action after this evening, and it would not require the revelation of any compromising situations."

Ren was not enjoying this lecture, especially as he sensed that there was more questioning to come. He had thought that LME might be lax on controlling the rumor mill, particularly regarding an artist that hadn't debuted yet and his worry had eaten at him until he had created a plan to protect Kyoko (in return for protecting him from himself). Also, Lory was particularly adept at reading him, and he didn't want to be found out for his more selfish reasons.

Lory sighed, unhappy with Ren's less than forthcoming attitude. "I feel that what you have told me isn't the full reason, Ren. You've opened quite the can of worms with such a revelation, and I want to know everything surrounding the matter, more so about why you disclosed it to the press, so that I can anticipate and plan for all eventualities. I also ask this question because of a certain singer you happened to pass by..."

Giving Lory an accusatory, wounded look wouldn't have worked, so Ren maintained his usual calm face, merely raising an eyebrow as if he was amused by such a thought. "To clarify, you are referring to Sho Fuwa? Well, it was just lucky that he was present, and it's no harm if he tortures himself over the matter. But one of the cast, Murasame Taira, has shown an odd interest in Setsu, and I wanted to create a distinction between Setsu and Kyoko in order to deter him."

"Does she need to be protected from him?"

"H-! Well, he does like to boast about his delinquent past..."

"He's not the only one with a less than savory past." Lory challenged Ren.

It was tough to keep his brow smooth from a frown. "No. He's not. But he still boasts about it, pridefully. It's something that could invite trouble."

"Hmmm... Ren, it's good that you have found someone to care about," Lory's voice was gentler now. "It's good. I think you have feelings for her- now, don't interrupt, or protest." Lory's gaze became serious. "If you are unwilling to be by her side now, you cannot keep others from claiming that position. Only Kyoko can decide who can or cannot. Claim it if you want it. Understand?"

Ren did not like this one bit – it cut too close to the bone. He had consciously and unconsciously been putting off possible suitors to Kyoko for a while now, and Lory's words were trying to force him to admit it wasn't just to protect her, but to save her for when he himself was ready.

"Is that all, president? I need to change before we join the others." Ren's tone lacked any notable warmth.

Lory grunted in agreement, and the two departed.

**(88)**

The starters had not even been served yet and Sho was already anticipating about how long the dinner would be – and how much longer until he confronted Kyoko. His impatience only increased upon Kyoko's notable entrance into the hall (she ran towards a dark-haired beauty at one of the LME dining tables with great excitement – given the stir she had been a part of earlier, people easily recognized her, and took an interest). She looked good as well – she was wearing a light, floral dress that skimmed her figure. Her makeup was light and clear, consisting mainly of pink tones. Her short hair was volumised and adorned with a pale pink rose pulling part of her fringe off her face and behind her ear.

As the waiting staff maneuvered about with the starters, Sho was looking out of the corner of his eye at Kyoko's table. Damn, he wanted to wipe that smile off of her face – Sho wanted to see her with an angry, tormented look at that moment (much like how he was feeling inside).

A rush of anger accompanied his impatience when Ren sauntered in with the LME president, wearing a dark, sharp suit – it contrasted well against his light silver shirt which he wore open with a few buttons opened. Sho stabbed an unfortunate piece of cucumber – luckily, thanks to a small radish piece beneath, there was no ear-tearing shriek of metal on the plate. He munched his salad angrily, as he watched _his_ Kyoko greet his rival with a smile that has a soft, sweet edge to it, and it ate Sho up inside. It wasn't quite like the smile she greeted him with back in Kyoto – there was no blind worship present. But there was so much appreciation, gratitude and care in it that Sho experienced a strange sort of jealousy. He was used to being jealous of Ren Tsuruga, but it was because of his fame, ability and the respect of the industry – _not_ because of some nobody, plain-Jane from the back of beyond.

Shoko quickly picked up on Sho's disgruntled mood and pulled Sho's attention on her. She whispered fiercely into his ear, telling him to interact pleasantly with the other diners at the table (who were of his agency), that the agency hoped he could make collaboration albums with. She also warned him that she was forbidding him from approaching Kyoko without her present – to this, Sho said nothing, neither acknowledging or promising anything.

Dessert was done, and Sho had swallowed his scalding black coffee, ignoring the gourmet macaroons and slivers of biscuits that were served with it. Yet, it wasn't like he could just jump out of his seat to Kyoko – no one else had risen yet and he didn't want to attract attention, Shoko was still keeping a wary eye on him AND Kyoko's location, and he didn't want to look uncool and desperate. And this situation called for some discretion – he didn't want to look like a jealous suitor, creepy fan or jilted lover. Cool and unaffected was Sho Fuwa's style, after all.

The reporters had been like Sho and had quickly downed their beverages. The majority swamped the LME dining table, with a few loners off begging interviews with Hana Kawaii and a few other idols with new and upcoming releases and other such projects. To add insult to injury, not one of the reporters had approached Sho's table yet – _and he was at the table full of Akatoki Agency's best and most famous. _It did not make sense.

Strangely enough, despite Sho's surveillance on Kyoko, he failed to notice the attention of another upon her. Murasame Taira was also looking at Kyoko upon free moments out of the corner of his eye, but with less malice than Sho. Like Sho, he too had a few questions for Kyoko, and he wanted to ask them sooner rather than later.

**(88)**

**NEXT: Kyoko questions the status of her relationship with Ren, while both Sho and Murasame look for an opportunity to speak with Kyoko alone.**

**Wow, it's been a while... I'm sorry! This chapter is a bit filler-ish in my opinion. I should have the next chapter up soon enough, as I have quite a chunk of it written.**

**So, what did you think? Any comments or pieces of constructive criticism? Let me know what you think! :)**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Again, so much thanks to all those who followed, favourited and reviewed. Thanks to my little sis, tophwannabe, for giving this a quick read over... there may be some mistakes as I wrote it very quickly with a little bit of editing. **

**(88)**

Recap: Lory has put into action damage control regarding the revelation of the shower scene. He tells Ren he can't keep scaring off Kyoko's suitors. It's dinner time, and Sho is dying to confront Kyoko, as is Murasame.

**(88)**

"Mo, I still cannot believe you were a part of such a big and _weird_ project!" Kanae exclaimed quietly to Kyoko as she dunked a thin Belgian biscuit into her café-au-lait.

"Mm, well, being a member of the Love Me Section, I'm kind of ready for odd missions – like when I cooked for Mr. Hizuri." Kyoko replied. "It was like that, but for my sempai."

"Mm. Still. It's the most bizarre Love Me mission to date, I think." Kanae said. She kept her expression calm, but she was scrutinizing Kyoko's reactions for anything odd. She was determined to make sure her friend was alright with all that had happened. "So, you really walked in on him?"

Kyoko only sputtered slightly, and with all the chatter around them, few people noticed. "Err, y-yes. But honestly, Moko, I thought he was drowning! He'd been a little odd that day, and he was over _forty minutes_ in there!"

"Mo! I understand, I understand – you weren't trying to get a peek at his junk!"

Kyoko went red, and her mouth flapped open and shut in astonishment. "I-I-I! I!"

Kanae waved her hand dismissively. She leaned into Kyoko and in low tones asked, "look, nothing you didn't want to happen happened, right?"

"Well, no," she replied with a furrowed brow.

"But something did happen...?" Kanae pressed.

"A few odd things, but not like what you're thinking, Moko," Kyoko clarified. "Um, could we discuss this later? I'm not comfortable talking about it here."

"Of course! Mo, if you prefer, after this do, we could go for coffee somewhere and talk."

"Mo-! Mo-! Mooookoooo! Oh my goodness!" Kyoko exclaimed with ecstatic delight. "I truly am a dear friend to you! Late night coffee meetups for girl talk!"

Kanae tried to wrench her hands from Kyoko's clasp without drawing much more attention (the few who knew Kyoko well smiled to themselves, whereas others gave her a disturbed look). "Mo! Yes! But if you keep acting like this at every little thing, I'm going to stop!"

"Right! Will do so, Moko!" Kyoko saluted, thus freeing Kanae's hands.

A tidal wave of press had shuffled over to the table – the majority were around Ren, and a few more were pushing their microphones under Kyoko's nose. Ren had his gentle smile on, and Kyoko tried to follow his lead with her own polite one, but it was still rather annoying. Both she and Ren accepted a few more questions, before the President interrupted, asking the reporters to leave the table as the diners were not yet finished their meals. After they had departed, he warned Ren and Kyoko that once they left the dining table, they would be free game for the press to approach.

Frankly, Kyoko was a little unsettled by all the attention from the reporters – it wasn't in as controlled an environment as a press release, and there were more interviewers than for just one magazine or television piece. Still, once she stood with Kanae in a corner of the room and was swamped with bodies, she still smiled and waved Kanae off to have fun. Kanae departed with a dubious look, but left Kyoko, though she stayed within view, should Kyoko need assistance.

Kyoko answered the barrage of questions as best she could, given the speed they were coming at her and how quickly they moved from various events and topics. So far, none had broached the topic of Kyoko walking in on Ren's bath time, though they had asked about the uncomfortable topic of Ren-as-Cain's behaviour on set. She kept her answers short and polite, with a bright smile. But the questions kept coming, most were repetitive, and with a crowd of bodies so close, the oxygen was being stolen by those screaming the questions at her – not too comfortable.

Cool air surrounded her as Sebastian rescued her from the mob, and it was a welcome relief. After thanking him, she was led out of the hall to speak quietly with President Lory, but about what, she did not know.

"Um, President?"

"Ah! Kyoko! Glad for a break, I suppose?"

"Yes, thank you. It was getting a bit hot and claustrophobic," she smiled.

Lory chuckled. "Reporters are a bit eager alright... boundaries tend to be pushed. Anyway, Kyoko, I want to thank you for doing such a great job on this mission – it was a long one, and a lot was required of you."

"Ah! You're welcome. I gained quite a bit of experience on the mission."

"Kyoko, to be exact, I want to commend you on taking care of Ren. I thought he might have issues with this film – what issues, I cannot say, that is Ren's place – and I thought you would be the perfect lucky charm to protect him."

"Lucky charm? Me? B-but I didn't do that mu-"

Lory gave Kyoko a fatherly smile. "Kyoko, please, don't put yourself down. You did a great job and helped Ren to work through this film. You probably made it a lot easier for him – you're his lucky charm, though I think I'd have to wrestle that admonition from him."

Kyoko didn't really know what to say at that point, but she began to wonder if the President knew of Ren's trauma, and knew that issues in the film would result in odd behaviour – if so, had she been sent to keep him safe from himself? Why let Ren work on a film which could have ended his career? And why her?

She decided to ask the last question. "Why me, President?"

"Kyoko, you walked in on Ren Tsuruga in the bath," Kyoko turned red and averted her gaze down, "and you didn't look, take a picture or use it against Ren. You are a kind, conscientious young woman, Kyoko, and you do your tasks well. You would not exploit Ren, you get along well with him, and he holds you in high regard."

"Ts-tsuruga h-holds me... in high regard?" This time, a softer blush from the flattery dusked the cheeks beneath her dewy eyes.

"Yes. Did he not listen to you, and react as you asked during this mission?" She nodded. "I don't know the exact status of your relationship with Ren, but I think he considers you a friend, not just as his kohai."

Kyoko was a little uncomfortable at this point. A lot had happened during her time as Setsu that had her questioning her relationship with Ren and the boundaries between the two. The latest statement from the President confirmed that the relationship had grown closer and that it wasn't just her perspective skewing things. If others could detect the change, and from such little observation, Kyoko was going to have to watch how she acted around Ren from now on – even when it was just the two of them. Having made this decision, she did her best to stop the feeling of disappointment from blooming up in her torso.

"Kyoko, you did a great job," Lory praised. "However, there's a lot of publicity with this job. You are likely to encounter some less than pleasant behaviour from jealous individuals – look out for die-hard fans of Ren. You will need to be careful in how you handle yourself around them – look for help, stay polite, do not get dragged into it. Tomorrow you will meet with Sebastian for some training in how to handle such situations." Kyoko nodded. "As you know, the character of Setsu was cocky and sultry, to which her attire complimented. You need to call me, or anyone else if you are approached by unsavory men."

"Ah, but President," Kyoko interrupted. "It's unlikely they'll bother a girl like me-"

"Kyoko, you need to get rid of that mindset now." Lory said in a deadly serious tone. "Bad things happen to good, plain, and evil people – to all people. Call for help if you need it, or feel like you are in danger. Better safe than sorry."

"Yes, President." She didn't agree with Lory's thought exactly – who would approach her when she was just plain Kyoko? But he did make a good point about bad things happening to all people, even the plain, ordinary ones. _Better safe than sorry._

"Now, the last matter to discuss with you tonight," Lory started once more. "Murasame Taira – I've heard that he expressed an interest in Setsu? Led to tension with Cain?"

"Ah, yes." Kyoko confirmed. "I think he was annoyed by how both Heel siblings were reclusive and cold to the staff... He and Cain didn't interact well."

"Do you feel like he is a threat to you?"

"Huh? Ah, I didn't really think of him as one," Kyoko replied honestly. "I was sometimes anxious when he and Cain were together, but I don't think he is a threat to me. Why do you ask?"

"Well, if I've heard correctly, he was a delinquent in his teens. As well as this, he may seek you out to discuss Setsu – perhaps to see if you are like her or not."

Lory watched the young woman before him, and understood Ren's desire to protect her. She was a little too naive regarding others and the potential harm they could do to her... He had thought that with this mission there was little chance of her making ties with others, given how closed off the Heel siblings were meant to be, but there was something about Kyoko that seemed to draw young men in. Lory couldn't quite decide if it was her, her looks or her acting that attracted them. She also seemed to be attracting a few oddballs – Ren, Reino, Sho and now Murasame – and those were the few he knew of. 'There are probably a few more,' he mused for a moment. 'Still, might be best to create a class on how to deal with members of the opposite gender and unwanted attention. The first of its kind at LME – a class in repelling men!" Little did he know that even with these classes, Kyoko would still probably get unwanted attention from some of the weirder ones.

Lory said his goodbyes, leaving Kyoko in the hall. She decided to take a breather and think over what the President had said to her.

'The President said that he thinks Ren sees me as a friend... does he? Or maybe as something more?' She smacked her palm against her forehead. 'Don't be silly, how could the multi-talented, handsome Ren Tsuruga ever see me, his kohai, in such a way? No, not me, not like that...' She threw her head backwards against the wall. 'Stupid! No, he's a _professional_...'

Her palm rested on her chest, and Kyoko couldn't really explain the pain of such a thought. Thinking she wasn't attractive had never really been this painful before – so what was exacerbating it now? And what about when he was teaching Setsu about leaving a kiss mark... her heart sped up at the memory.

She leaned against the wall, deep in thought, until the door opened into the hall.

**(88)**

Though it appeared that Ren was mingling with a calm enthusiasm and cheer, underneath it all, he was brooding a little. As a result, his gentleman's smile was out in full force – scaring Yashiro and Kanae a little. But to everyone else, it looked as though he didn't have a worry on him.

However, when he had the chance, he was brooding inside. He could have liked to talk a little more with Kyoko about tonight's revelation, but any idea about that had been crushed when he heard her making an appointment to have coffee with Kanae Kotonami. His mood didn't improve as he saw Kyoko being engulfed by reporters. He wanted so badly to stalk over there and establish a wide personal boundary between them and her, but too much interaction would raise suspicions... He was very much tempted at one point to rescue her regardless, but Sebastian rescued her.

Now Ren was brooding because he was wondering what the hell Lory was saying to Kyoko, and what ideas he was putting in her head. 'If he encourages her to find someone... the whole point of the Love Me Section is to look at love in a positive light. He might make it a mission for her...' It was thoughts like these that blackened Ren's mood, though it was hardly palpable to the strangers around him.

It was then that he realized the President had been quite apt about Ren chasing away suitors from Kyoko, and he began to wonder if he was hindering her from growing. What right had he to chase suitors away from Kyoko? Was he right to? So far, he concluded, he had – Reino was a creepy guy who would not have looked out for Kyoko, even if she had accepted him. And she most certainly deserved better treatment than what she had received from Sho. But, should he keep his nose out of that aspect of her life...?

He had never wanted to heave a sigh more in his life than at that moment. But the smile stayed in place, shining all the more brilliantly.

**(88)**

Sho was still internally raging at the fact that no reporter had yet approached him, yet Kyoko was being swamped by a mini-mob of dictaphone-wielding reporters. He pretended that he was surveying the room as he stood beside Shoko, who was talking with a veteran actor about his upcoming revenge drama.

The only thing he had to smile about at that moment was that Ren and Kyoko were separated – and it could have just been Sho, but he almost swore that Ren Tsuruga was looking a little tense around the eyes – and did his eyes just flicker over to Kyoko? 'Does he really have feelings for that boring country bumpkin?'

That thought alone had Sho's mind spinning off into a fantasy where he stood lording over a pitiful, weeping Ren, with Kyoko clasping his side as she looked up at him in wonder. 'If he does... and if I win her back...' Little evil demons started spinning around, throwing images of Sho trumping Ren at his minds eye.

His fantasy was quietened by the stunning smile Ren bestowed on a female reporter. 'Maybe I did imagine the tenseness... Pfft! Doubtful a star like him would be interested in Kyoko, no matter how much she dresses herself up. More likely she has feelings for him. But... she denied it so vehemently.'

The circle of his thoughts led to no definite conclusion, and Sho wasn't too interested in rationally thinking the matter through. He cleared through the circle with thoughts of confronting Kyoko, and ensuring that she still belonged to him. He wanted his curiosity about her 'work' with Ren as Setsu satisfied completely – then it would torture him no more.

His attention was drawn once more to Kyoko as an odd man in a weird attire separated her from the group of reporters and took her out to the hall. Quickly striding towards the door, he managed to catch a glimpse of the LME president just before the door closed. 'Why is the president himself calling her out? And about what?'

He plonked himself down in a chair, surveying the door through which he assumed the LME president would return to the room. It was then that two reporters decided that he was worth interviewing.

'Crap, your timing sucks...' he thought angrily, but greeted the duo with a cool smirk.

He answered their less-than-imaginative questions, basically summarizing his speech on stage and what he had said in a prior interview. When asked about his impression of the movie, he kept his answers broad, and refused to mention Ren Tsuruga's name. 'Like hell am I going to take attention from me in my own interview.'

His attention was grabbed by the LME president's powerful strut back into the room, and Sho immediately resented the two interviewing him, delaying his interrogation of Kyoko. He could be missing his only chance to talk to that idiot because of the two idiots in front of him! He quickly toned down his coolness level, becoming less engaged with the reporters and their questions. He sped up the process by excusing himself with a smirk and a cheeky wink.

His stride faltered as he saw a tall, dark head exit the door, heading straight for Kyoko. 'What the-?' Sho couldn't exactly waltz out the door and intimidate Kyoko with that guy there. 'I'd better check this out first.' It was one of the few times in his life where Sho decided to coolly assess the situation first.

So, he headed to the other exit door further down the room, the one that would take him directly into the corridor to the kitchen. From there he would be able to stalk on Kyoko and this mystery man.

He only had a momentary twinge of conscience, but it went unnoticed by his conscious operating section of the brain.

There was thankfully no waiting staff around the area at the moment, and Sho settled against the wall perpendicular to Kyoko, keeping his phone to his ear should anyone walk by.

'Now, who is _this_ guy, Kyoko?' Sho thought maliciously. 'Another idiotic interested party?'

**(88)**

Kyoko was very surprised to see Murasame walk through the door towards her, particularly after her conversation with Lory. Remembering Lory's warning, Kyoko put herself on guard, and made sure that her phone was in her dress pocket.

"Ah, Murasame, hello," she greeted with a formal bow.

"H-hello, S- er, Kyoko, is it?" She nodded. "I was just wondering if I could have a minute to talk to you."

"Sure. What about?"

"Honestly, I find the whole situation really weird. Even weirder that _the Ren Tsuruga_ was that _monster_ Cain Heel... but, first, um, you don't seem like Setsu at all." The uncertainty in his tone had Kyoko taking the statement as a question.

"No, I'm not like Setsu at all. I wouldn't be as confident in front of people acting in such a manner or dressed in such, um, small clothes. She's a really powerful character. I'm not really like her at all," Kyoko smiled.

Murasame seemed dubious for a moment as he gave Kyoko a look-over. As his gaze settled on her eyes, his expression settled into one of acceptance, and another determined look stole over him.

"Listen, did you ever feel like you were in danger around 'Cain'? I mean, there were moments on set where that guy was out of control, and honestly, I don't care how dedicated Tsuruga is to his craft, it seems like the dude has some serious issues and-"

"I never felt in danger around my sempai," Kyoko interrupted, telling a little white lie. "There may have been a moment or two where Tsuruga had gotten stuck in his character, but that has happened to me as well. It just something that happens to some actors-"

"You cannot seriously expect me to swallow that!" Murasame sounded angry. "You mean you honestly trust that guy? He's dangerous!"

"No, he's not!" Kyoko flared up in defense of her sempai. "I trust him with my life!"

"Why the hell would you do that?" Murasame hissed angrily. "Do you like, love him or something? Why are you so defensive over such a dangerous _sempai_?"

"Don't you dare imply something so, so, so! Urgh!" Kyoko's balled fists banged her temples, freaking Murasame out somewhat. She quickly stopped and looked Murasame square in the eye. "As Setsu, people misjudged me – some thought I was dangerous or a floozy, a loose girl that one could approach easily."

Murasame looked quite uncomfortable with Kyoko talking of the perception of Setsu by others. He himself had a few ideas about her simply from her appearance. 'But I was also intrigued by her personality,' he thought in defense of himself.

Kyoko continued. "I was approached by a group – I was really scared... but Setsu handled the situation. Unfortunately, my decision to act as I thought Setsu would put Cain and I at risk... he saved me. He almost got hurt because of me."

Murasame was confused as to why she had just referred to Ren as Cain... but she had done the same for herself as well. Did she honestly see the characters as a separate part to her and Ren?

Looking at Kyoko, Murasame was inclined to believe her. Her eyes were so fiery and determined, and the emotion in her voice firmly declared that she truly did believe that Ren Tsuruga was a good man. Maybe Ren wasn't all that bad... but, that terrifying, cold look of his... it had to come from somewhere, from some experience. It was not anything that could just be mimicked by an actor. In all his time as a teen delinquent, he had only seen such a look on the gang leaders with the most terrifying histories – the real cold bastards.

'So... is Ren Tsuruga a good enough actor to mimick a dangerous, heartless killer or is he a good enough actor to pretend that he is a normal, charismatic man, thus hiding his murderous side?' And tricking a gullible girl like Kyoko would be dead simple.

For now, he decided to backtrack a little. "So, you feel safe around him?"

"Yes." Kyoko answered firmly.

"How... how do you..." Murasame suddenly broke eye contact with Kyoko and began to look a little flustered. "What do you think of me?"

"I? Think of you?" Kyoko was surprised. She didn't think her impression of Murasame really mattered to him. He didn't seem like the self-conscious type to her. "Ah, I... I think you're a good actor. I don't really know much about you as a person... other than you're a little hot-headed."

Murasame looked away, and rubbed his neck a little in embarrassment. "Yeah, look, I'm sorry for provoking Tsu- Cain." Well, if he wanted to get to know Kyoko better, he had best get on good terms with her first.

"Ah, no, no, no! It's okay, really!"

'If you don't ask, you won't receive,' Murasame thought to himself. He straightened up his shoulders and tried to look Kyoko dead in the eye. However he failed, and his focused instead on the midpoint of her forehead.

"Kyoko... ah, I suppose I shouldn't really be addressing you by your first name..."

"No! It's fine, I simply go by Kyoko in this industry," she explained, blushing a little (little did Murasame know, but she was reminded of her encounter as Setsu with Sho near the toilets).

"Really? Okay... Kyoko, I was wondering if you would go on a date on me?"

"EH?!" Kyoko exclaimed in shock, her eyes wide and her jaw hanging open. Blood flooded through the veins in her face, causing her to glow red. She first started waving her palms in front of her, then pushed her palms together and bowed, asking forgiveness. "I'm sorry, Murasame, but I just-"

"Well, isn't this cosy?"

**(88)**

**Argh! I keep switching between American and English spellings -_-"**

**Anyway, holy crap, I updated quite a bit earlier than I normally do! It might be another little while before I update (I have the plot in my head and on paper, but I have essays due for uni...)**

**So, thoughts, opinions, criticisms? Do you think I'm putting in the thoughts of too many characters/not enough characters? Or do you think it works well as it is?**

**Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning: **This is a lot shorter than other chapters, but I want to upload a chapter to get me back into writing and posting. This part turned out fine, but the following events turned out a little messy. Also, hope the name change from maniacslaugh hasn't confused you

_RECAP: Ren revealed the bath incident, Lory talked with Kyoko about the situation and warned her to look out for crazy antifans and the like, Murasame showed up to talk to her afterwards._

_"Kyoko, I was wondering if you would go on a date on me?"_

_"EH?!" Kyoko exclaimed in shock, her eyes wide and her jaw hanging open. Blood flooded through the veins in her face, causing her to glow red. She first started waving her palms in front of her, then pushed her palms together and bowed, asking forgiveness. "I'm sorry, Murasame, but I just-"_

_"Well, isn't this cosy?"_

**(88)**

Sho was simultaneously furious and disgusted. Who was this freaking loser noob who had decided to put the moves on HIS Kyoko? And why the hell was she putting on such an act? All fiery and defensive of her sempai, and then flustered and cutesy. Did she like the guy? Was she trying to attract him? Like hell was he going to sit back and allow Kyoko date this loser...

Sho strode up the corridor, unnoticed by Kyoko and Murasame, and derisively commented, "well, isn't this cosy?"

He had to admit, it was quite funny to see the two jump in shock at the presence of another person, not that one could tell from his cool expression. He had had his bit of fun, and now proceeded to the execution the next part of his plan – to get Kyoko away from this B-list loser.

He grabbed Kyoko by the crook of her elbow and while looking Murasame dead in the eye, said, "I need to speak with you. Kyo. Ko. Chan."

A tense, crackling atmosphere enveloped the hallway as Sho and Murasame attempted to stare down the other, and tried to surrupticiously size up his opponent. Kyoko stared on in a silent panic while her inner demons thrived off of the dark energy, all speculating the reason for the confrontation.

Sho decided to back down first. He didn't have time for (what he now realized to be) childish crap. He was here to interrogate Kyoko. So he simply broke eye contact, directed his and Kyoko's bodies away from Murasame and pretended that Murasame didn't exist.

Frankly, Murasame was pissed. He had just managed to ask Kyoko out, and his plan to seduce a date out of her had been ruined by this pretentious jerk. And why was this guy acting so familiar with her?!

"Oi, Kyoko, why didn't you tell me you were going to be living with that crap actor, Ren Tsuruga?" Sho had tried to make his tone sound as bored as possible. Pretending or not, he did have to take care of how he appeared with this Murasame guy around.

Kyoko wrenched her arm free of Sho's grasp. "It's none of your business, Sho!"

Sho let out three slow tutting sounds. He moved in and down to thrust his face into Kyoko's. "But aren't I meant to be the only man you would ever live with?"

Murasame's shock mirrored that of Kyoko, who was bug-eyed and loose-jawed. 'Is she easy afterall?' Murasame wondered for a moment, the darker part of him hopeful that getting with Kyoko might not be much of a challenge after all (though the thought only remained a brief moment).

Kyoko recovered quickly and stepped back from Sho. She folded her arms and settled her legs shoulder-length apart.

"Grow up, Sho," she sneered up at him. "I'm not your property or your girlfriend – I don't answer to you!"

"No, not good enough to be anyones girlfriend, but Kyoko, I _do_ own you. How dare you forget!" He spat out at her.

Her temper flared and she opened her mouth to shout something like "jerkface!" or "bastard!" at him, but he spoke before she could unleash her anger.

He adopted a cooler tone than previously. "So, what Ren said about the two of you, was it true?"

She glared at him spitefully for a moment. "It's true." She turned a haughty nose up at him. "And what does it matter to you?"

"You're still mine, Kyoko. You've already proven it, by entering show business because of me!"

At the reminder for her initial motive for joining the industry, Kyoko's grudge demons exploded out in full force, blasting Sho and Murasame with an icy, malevolent wind. Her grudges swirled about as she hurled insult after insult at Sho – jerkface, sadist, pretentious ass, bully, liar, bastard...

Murasame had had enough. He stepped between the two, facing Sho. "What's all this about owning Kyoko?"

"He doesn't," Kyoko panted in anger, lacking breath after her verbal tirade. "We just grew up together."

Sho scoffed. "We didn't just grow up together. My family had to raise her, since her own family dumped her on us."

Murasame's attention was quickly dragged from Sho's shocking statement to Kyoko, who had inhaled sharply. Her face was a canvas for all the anguish and heartbreak she was experiencing.

For a moment, Sho stared on blank-faced, internally worrying what to do if Kyoko teared up – he had always been useless at consoling her, but now he was the cause, and he had cut her deeply. He found himself once more at how he could make her feel better-

"Mo! Kyoko! You're not just going to take that crap from this loser, are you?!"

"Mo-moko!" Kyoko's expression was still one of anguish, but was now mixed with surprise. "What-"

Kanae breezed by Kyoko and Murasame so quickly and sharply, Sho actually took a few steps back in surprise. Angry at being surprised and made look uncool, he opted to glare down on the woman.

"Moko? What kind of stupid na-"

"Shut it, you sissy boy – not another word is to come out of your trash can of a mouth. I have no idea why you get off on picking on Kyoko, you weird, sadistic freak! This isn't the first time, but it most certainly will be the last!" Kanae's eyes were only gleaming slits and Sho was actually slightly afraid of her. "No more harassing Kyoko. No more hurting Kyoko. No more _talking _to Kyoko, you got that?"

Kanae didn't even wait for Sho to nod, or speak. Rather, her right hand came flying up and she slapped Sho. Murasame had actually jumped at the sound, and Kyoko was staring on, watery-eyed in admiration of her best friend.

"That's merely a preview of what is to come if you bother her again. Bastard," she tossed over her sholder dismissively before stalking off with an astonished Kyoko being pulled along behind her.

Sho's cheek was pulsing violently, and he could only imagine the nasty red mark marring his beautiful face. But that woman hadn't just marred his appearance – she had cut down his cool image, shown no respect or admiration for him and interferred between he and Kyoko. Not only had she done all this, but she _did it in public_ (in Sho's eye, anyone other than Kyoko was a member of the public for whom appearances had to be upheld – so even one person such as Murasame witnessing such an act was unacceptable).

By the time he had recovered from the shock of it all, he was alone in the corridor and very angry. He had been humiliated.

**(88)**

Kanae pulled Kyoko into a room (which happened to be the very room Lory had conversed with Ren in privately). Kyoko was just awakening from her dazed state of admiration.

"Moko... You, you! Thank you very much!" Kyoko said earnestly, bowing three times in rapid succession.

"Mo! Quit that! We're supposed to be friends, there's no need for it." While Kanae spoke these words, the light blush and inability to meet Kyoko's eyes showed she was happy at her words.

Suddenly, Kyoko straightened up as stiff as a rod. Her face crumpled, her expression one of anguish.

"Mo! What is it?!" Kanae exclaimed.

"Aaaah! Mookoooo! What if you get in trouble because of meeee?!" Kyoko wailed. "What you did was awesome, but Sho's vengeful jerk and what if he does something to you?! What if you get in trouble for saving me?!"

"Mo! He won't do anything! Didn't that guy, Murasame, see everything? If he does anything, it will only backfire on himself!"

"True," Kyoko sniffled. She then vigorously rubbed her face, and all at once, her face was unmarred by lines of anguish. "Thank you, Moko," she repeated softly.

"Don't worry about it! Mo, let's get back to the party and have a good time – goodness knows, tonight you need it!"

**(88)**

Murasame watched the dark-haired beauty drag Kyoko down the corridor in admiration. She was powerful, unapologetic and a true friend – it reminded him of his days in the gang, when members looked out for one another. He had not found anything like it in show biz until this moment. He had been impressed by this woman's attitude.

He eyed the stunned Sho for a moment, contemplating whether or not to add his own warning, but decided against it. 'Surely he's not so stupid as to do anything about it. Three against one would prove him a cruel bastard, which shatter the hearts of his fangirls. Well, most of them."

Murasame had seen the pain Sho had inflicted on Kyoko, and had seen the frozen glaze in the eyes of Sho before that dark-haired beauty attacked him. For that split second, Murasame thought that Sho might have been regretting his words. 'What is the relationship between the two?' he wondered. 'They seem so close and familiar with one another, dispite their antagonistic relationship...'

He took one more look at the stunned diva before him and Murasame simply waltzed away from Sho, and rejoined the party (making sure to avoid Ren Tsuruga), with plans to keep an eye on Kyoko for the rest of the night lest the visual-kei star do something rash.

**(88)**

**I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in a while and that this is so short. I need to get back into writing. I plan to finish this fic this summer (I don't think it's going to have a very clear ending, nor one that you might be hoping for).**

**Feedback is welcome, as always. However, please do not use the review system to ask me to update - if you wish to do so, PM me instead.**

**Thank you to those who followed, favourited and reviewed. It is very much appreciated.**

**I have a tumblr (ahbuggrit - it's in my profile). I mainly reblog a lot of kpop stuff atm, but you can click the '_My Fanfics_' button - I'm going to be posting alternative situations for this fic there for those that are interested (should be up in the next week). And you can ask me stuff, via your own tumblr name, or anonymously. **

**Let me know what you think!**


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